Bordercollie
Senior Member
So then why are LRC's used strictly in the corridor when some recently rebuilt HEP stock is sitting idle.
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VIA Rail
- Thread starter ehlow
- Start date
littlewill1166
Active Member
Ride an LRC, then ride a rebuilt HEP. The ride quality on the LRC is way better (less screeching, vibrations, etc.)
Also the aisles are wider on the LRC and the intercar doors are motorized, so the service attendants like it more too since they don't have to worry about bumping into seats/manually opening the intercar doors.
Urban Sky
Senior Member
Different fleet types have different characteristics and come with different operational constraints. Have a look at the cycling plans which have been posted here previously and imagine how much lead time you need for such an elaborate plan. Then imagine how much that planning horizon has shrunk during Covid.
With one new schedule almost each month (my VIA Rail timetable archive counts 15 PDF schedules published since March 2020 in as many months), the only way to cope with such a unprecedented schedule volatility (not just in the pace of changes, but also in their scope!) is to dumb down the operational complexity as much as possible and the most obvious way is to make all trainsets identical, so that you can swap them around at will. There is a good reason why VIA's future fleet will only consist of one type of fleet...
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roger1818
Senior Member
Why is "getting the LRCs off the (rail)road with as little delay as possible" so urgent that we can't even discuss it on this forum? From my understanding, they are completely safe but just can't be refurbished again. Given that they were last refurbished in the mid 2010's, that should give sufficient time to roll out the new fleet before the LRCs reach their end of life. I was under the impression that the most urgent task was getting the Corridor Renaissance fleet off the rails.
You don't see any potential ethical concerns of a supplier giving a key employee a lucrative job shortly after receiving a major contract from the employee's original employer? I am not say there was a breach of ethics, but at first glance, it doesn't pass the smell test. Most companies have strict rules prohibiting employees from receiving gifts from suppliers.
smallspy
Senior Member
The F40s are based on a freight engine, and so more than 95% of the components on it are shared with their freight bretherin.
The P42s were designed from the ground-up as passenger locos, and while they do share quite a few mechanical components with the thousands upon thousands of similarly-aged freight locos, they use custom and proprietary trucks, traction motor/gearbox combos and some other major parts. As well, their body design - it is load-bearing, unlike the "flat" frame design of freight locos - means that it is much harder to do major work on them as access is far more limited. You can't just remove the carbody - you have to go in and out through the roof.
Dan
crs1026
Superstar
I would go further.... if you contrast how smoothly the VIA re-order sailed through the government bureaucracy, compared to HFR for instance..... there must have been a pretty compelling case and sense of urgency. One contractor who tried to fix the cars fully went bankrupt in the process. That has to count for something.
We all know the political environment VIA works under - if there were any prospect of life extension, especially if it were cheaper, VIA would be rebuilding.
"Safe" in engineering space is a matter of probabilities. The standard may be one-in-a-million, and the temporary exemption may be one-in-900,000. At some point a further exemption becomes too risky to keep shaving the probability. Probability rises with time and frequency of use.
Doesn't mean that a few cars won't end up in museums, and maybe roll a wheel or two under the exemptions that museum operators are allowed. But for any full-bore main line use, the cars are likely done.
- Paul
roger1818
Senior Member
If there was a gap of a year between employers, then all would be good.
Urban Sky
Senior Member
Cynthia Garneau replaced YDS as VIA Rail's CEO effective May 9, 2019, Siemens presented him as new CEO on May 20, 2020.
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roger1818
Senior Member
Thanks for the information. Sorry for the drama. The information caught me off guard.
nfitz
Superstar
Thanks - I thought they were still around (pre-covid at least).
Though in post-HFR world, they could easily terminate at Smiths Falls from Toronto.
In Kingston, at most would need storage for 3 trainsets at Kingston. A GO-style refueling point would be pretty simple.
nfitz
Superstar
My understanding 5 years ago, is that the fatigue of the aluminum frames was already a big concern. I'd guess by now they are one incident away from having the entire fleet permanently pulled from service.
Allandale25
Senior Member
Was there anything new or specific for HFR mentioned at the recent AGM?
kEiThZ
Superstar
I'm really getting frustrated with the lack of movement on HFR.
Is VIA even the right entity to do this? Maybe the Corridor should be given to Metrolinx/GO and ARTM/Exo. We're starting to blur the line around suburban and intercity rail service anyway.
If VIA didn't exist, I think London, Peterborough and Kingston would all be getting GO rail service of some kind already.
Is VIA even the right entity to do this? Maybe the Corridor should be given to Metrolinx/GO and ARTM/Exo. We're starting to blur the line around suburban and intercity rail service anyway.
If VIA didn't exist, I think London, Peterborough and Kingston would all be getting GO rail service of some kind already.
nfitz
Superstar
You are getting frustrated?
I'm getting frustrated since supporting Prime Minister Turner in the election where he promised to revisit the 1981 VIA cuts with the hope that he'd also proceed with VIA HST plan.